Soil module and method of manufacture thereof

ABSTRACT

A self-contained soil module, the soil module including a biodegradable outer frame forming the shape of the soil module, a biodegradable wrapping disposed within the biodegradable outer frame, a soil composition contained within the biodegradable wrapping and at least one plant seed of at least one type of plant disposed within the soil module.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is related generally to the field of agriculture and, moreparticularly, to methods, articles of manufacture and compositions ofmatter to improve the efficiency of plant growth and growingenvironments.

INTRODUCTION

Urban gardeners have a difficult time gardening and report significantdifficulty or dissatisfaction with their gardens. Even expert gardenersin urban areas can find they lack the knowledge of what plants to growin their neighborhoods. Urban gardeners are faced with variousdifficulties in cultivating successful gardens including limitedinformation about what plants will optimally grow in their neighborhoodbased on sunlight, wind, weather, soil conditions, and the like. Inaddition, gardeners often deal with limited space constraints. Smallspace for growing plants increases the difficulty of cultivating agarden and creates issues with raising plants next to one another thatmight not produce an optimal growing environment. In addition, urbangrowers as well as other gardeners face time constraints withcultivating their gardens and knowing what nutrients would optimizegrowing performance, when to water, when to harvest, etc.

There is a large part of the urban population that desires a personalgarden either for herbs or vegetables, but the lack of time and expecteddifficulty of maintaining the garden prevents them from achieving thisdesire. Most urban gardeners participate in this activity for fun and donot have the desire or the ability to spend a large amount of time ontheir gardens. It is more of a recreational activity. Further, there areenvironmental complexities to attend to including the challenges ofinconsistent light, wind, local and contextual complexities that makeeach urban garden site uniquely challenging.

In addition, there is a common problem of poor soil quality. Some typesof plants grow more optimally in different soil compositions. However,when gardens are prepared, it is often the case that all plant types ina garden are planted and grown in the same soil composition regardlessof plant type. This method deprives certain plants of the optimalconditions for growth. In addition, the underlying soil of a local areamay lack or have an overabundance of certain soil components that maywork to the advantage of some plants, disadvantage to others, or perhapsdetrimentally affect the entire variety of plant life in the garden.

The solution to the above-identified problems is a soil modulecomprising seeds, soil, and nutrients all enclosed in a self-containedbiodegradable outer frame. This module already contains the desiredplant seeds selected by the end user. The soil composition containedwithin the module comprises optimal levels of soil amendments, bacteria,nutrients, and minerals specifically tailored to optimize the growth ofthe contained seeds. Each module in an embodiment comprises at least oneseed type. The modular nature of these modules allows for each module tocontain one seed type and then multiple modules can be arranged next toeach other to create a garden with multiple plant types. The modulesallow for each type of plant to be grown in a unique optimal soilcomposition while the garden as a whole can comprise a wide variety ofplants. The modules are end user ready and all the user needs to do isplace the modules in their respective gardening area.

Further disclosed herein in connection with the embodiments of theinvention are methods of performing a microenvironment analysis todetermine the types of plants that will optimally grow in a garden basedon a wide variety of inputs including geographic location, sunlight,wind, cloud cover as well as underlying local soil compositions.Further, an embodiment of the invention disclosed herein provides for arecommendation engine that can provide an end user with suggestionsregarding the plant life that will optimally grow in the user's selectedgarden area. Further, the layout of the garden is automaticallyconfigured for the end user so that plant types that have adverseeffects when grown next to one another are configured in a way thatavoids these adverse effects. Further, embodiments of the inventiondescribed herein automatically monitors the user's garden and providesfor personalized watering and harvest notifications for each plant type.In addition, an imaging network is provided so that an end user canupload pictures of garden plants to the network, which automaticallyidentifies troubleshooting and problem issues and proposes solutions tothe end user. Although this application discusses urban growingenvironments, the embodiments disclosed herein are also applicable insuburban and rural environments.

Further disclosed herein is a system for selecting a soil deliverymodule, the system comprising: an end user terminal configured to acceptas input from a user a size and a shape of a garden and a selection ofat least one type of plant; a sensor configured to determine at least ageographic location and a sunlight profile of the garden; a transmitterconfigured to transmit at least the size and the shape of the garden,the geographic location of the garden and the sunlight profile of thegarden to a computer network; a recommendation engine contained withinthe computer network configured to calculate plant life that will growin the garden based on the geographic location and the sunlight profileof the garden; a configuration engine contained within the computernetwork configured to calculate an optimal placement of the at least onetype of plant based at least on the size and the shape of the garden;and an optimization engine contained within the computer networkconfigured for calculating an optimal soil composition for growing theat least one type of plant in the soil delivery module. The sensor ofthe system may comprise a smartphone device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A-1B shows a cross-sectional view of the soil module and itscomponents.

FIG. 2A-2J shows a perspective view of a self-contained soil module withtextured and perforated side walls.

FIGS. 3A-3D show a top perspective, front and interior views of an outerframe of a soil module with the lid removed.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a self-contained soil modulecomprising an image and label on the top of the soil module.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective illustrative view of the manufacturing of asoil module.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective cross-sectional view of illustrative internalcompositions contained within a soil module.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a soil composition showing examplesof the components contained within the soil composition.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective cross-sectional view of a soil module and thecomponents contained therein.

FIG. 9 shows an illustrative embodiment of a user placing a sensor atthe location of an intended garden area.

FIG. 10 shows an illustrative embodiment of the calculations computedbased on the location of a planned garden area.

FIG. 11 shows an illustrative breakdown of soil compositions ingeographic areas.

FIG. 12 shows an illustrative breakdown of solar analysis on a cityblock level.

FIG. 13 shows an illustrative embodiment of a user interacting with asmartphone-based application for calculating the size and composition ofa potential garden.

FIG. 14 shows an embodiment of a user selecting the size and layer of anintended garden using a smartphone-based application.

FIG. 15 shows an illustrative embodiment of vegetables being selectedfor growing in a potential garden and a method of arranging saidvegetables.

FIG. 16 shows a perspective view of a self-contained soil module withlabel prepared for delivery to an end user.

FIG. 17 shows a perspective view of an end user arranging a garden usingmultiple selfcontained soil modules each labeled and containing uniqueplant seeds.

FIG. 18 shows a perspective view of an end user placing a self-containedsoil module in an urban garden.

FIG. 19 shows a perspective view of an urban garden comprising columnsand rows of self-contained soil modules.

FIG. 20 shows an illustrative embodiment of end user notificationsinforming an end user when to water and harvest self-contained soilmodules.

FIG. 21 shows a perspective view of a self-contained soil module whereinthe plant life has grown through the module and developed into an adultplant.

FIG. 22 shows a perspective view of an urban garden comprising columnsand rows of self-contained soil modules.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1A shows a cross-sectional view of the soil module and itscomponents. The layers shown in FIG. 1 are non-limiting and forillustrative purposes. The soil module comprises an outer frame 101,shown as the bottom layer in FIG. 1A. This outer frame 101 may be rigidand self-supporting, meaning it may be constructed to contain the weightof the internal components of the soil composition. In an embodiment,the outer frame 101 of the soil delivery module comprises abiodegradable substance. In an embodiment, this biodegradable substancecomprises mycelium. When a biodegradable substance forms the outer layerof the soil module, plant roots can grow through the material, and inaddition, the soil module becomes more convenient for use since nomaintenance will be required to remove a non-biodegradable substancefrom a garden at a later stage. It is possible to construct the outerframe 101 from a non-biodegradable substance. The outer frame 101 can beconstructed from mycelium, but in addition, from other biodegradablesubstances such as coco-coir, bagasse, paper pulp, and thermoplasticstarch. The outer frame may comprise a grid structure 102 on the innerportion of bottom side of the outer frame.

The second layer from the bottom in FIG. 1A shows a thin biodegradablewrapping 103, which may be biodegradable paper, designed to form theinner layer of the soil module and contain the soil compositiondeposited within the soil module. The inner layer 103 may comprise, forexample, cellulose paper.

The next five layers 105 shown in FIG. 1A are illustrativerepresentations of the components of the soil composition containedwithin the soil module. These layers represent nutrients and minerals,cultured bacteria, a combination of soil amendments, capsaicin extract,and seeds of at least one variety of plant. In an embodiment each soilmodule contains one type of plant seed. The soil composition containedtherein can be of a generic type suitable for most plant seeds tooptimize growth. In an embodiment the soil composition contained withinsaid soil module has been particularly configured to optimize the plantgrowth of the specific type of plant seed contained within the soilmodule. In an embodiment the soil composition is optimized to counteractany deficiencies in the soil composition of a local area wherein agarden area is selected and when the soil module is to be planteddirectly in the local soil.

In an embodiment the soil module comprises a cuboid shape having a topand bottom and four symmetric side walls. The modular nature of theself-contained soil module allows for multiple soil modules to be placednext to each other in a garden. The garden can comprise nearly any sizeor shape and be conveniently planted using said soil modules. When thecomponents of the soil module are selected to be biodegradable, an enduser merely must place the soil module in the desired location of thegarden and water accordingly.

In an embodiment, a soil module (also referred to herein as a GrowBlock) comprises the following measurements:

GrowBlock Dimensions: Width (Inches): 11.8 Length (Inches): 11.8 Depth(Inches): 2.0 Wall Thickness: 0.2 Volume (cu ft.): 0.15 Cubic FootVolume (Inch.): 1728

The size of said soil module is not limited to a specific size. Forexample, a soil module could comprise the following sizes: 6 in by 6 inby 2 in. The soil module could also comprise much larger sizes in termsof area and depth. In addition, the soil module can comprise othershapes such as cylindrical shapes, triangles, or any other shape. Theconstruction of the modules will be discussed in more detail in thisspecification.

FIG. 1B shows a cross-sectional view of the soil module and itscomponents. The layers shown in FIG. 1B are non-limiting and forillustrative purposes. The soil module comprises a rigid outer frame asshown as the bottom layer in FIG. 1B. This outer frame 101 may be rigidand self-supporting, meaning it is constructed to contain the weight ofthe internal components of the soil composition. In an embodiment, theouter frame 101 of the soil delivery module comprises a biodegradablesubstance. In an embodiment, this biodegradable substance comprisesmycelium. When constructed with an opening 107 on the bottom of theouter frame 101, the outer frame 101 allows the plant roots within thesoil module to grow through the material. Additionally, the soil modulebecomes more convenient for use, since no maintenance will be requiredto remove a biodegradable substance from a garden at a later stage. Itis possible to construct the outer frame 101 from a non-biodegradablesubstance. The outer frame 101 can be constructed from mycelium, orother biodegradable substances such as coco-coir, bagasse, paper pulpand thermoplastic starch. The walls of the outer frame can comprise asinusoidal texture 109.

The second layer from the bottom in FIG. 1B shows a thin biodegradablewrapping 103, which may be biodegradable paper (for example, a thinbiodegradable sheet), designed to form the inner layer of the soilmodule and contain the soil composition deposited within the soilmodule. The inner layer 103 could comprise, for example, cellulosepaper. The next six layers 11 shown in FIG. 1B are illustrativerepresentations of the components of the soil composition containedwithin the soil module. These layers represent nutrients and minerals,cultured bacteria, a combination of soil amendments, capsaicin extractand seeds of at least one variety of plant 113. In an embodiment, eachsoil module contains one type of plant seed. The soil compositioncontained therein can be of a generic type suitable for most plant seedsto optimize growth. In an embodiment, the soil composition containedwithin said soil module has been particularly configured to optimize theplant growth of the specific type of plant seed contained within thesoil module. In an embodiment, the soil composition is optimized tocounteract any deficiencies in the soil composition of a local areawherein a garden area is selected and when the soil module is to beplanted directly in the local soil.

FIGS. 2A-2G show perspective views of a self-contained soil modulecomprising various textured side walls 201 and perforated side walls203. FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of a self-contained soil modulewith textured side walls 201 and perforated side walls 203. As shown inFIGS. 2A-2G, the soil module is self-contained and sealed, and comprisestextured side walls 201, as well as perforated side walls 203 to aidwith water absorption and air flow. FIG. 2B shows a perspective view ofa self-contained soil module with perforated side walls 203. Thisembodiment comprises non-textured side walls 204. FIG. 2C shows aperspective view of a selfcontained soil module with textured side walls201 and perforated side walls 203. In addition, this embodiment containsnon-perforated corners 205. FIG. 2D shows a perspective view of aselfcontained soil module with textured side walls 201. However, thisembodiment comprises nonperforated side walls 207. FIG. 2E shows aperspective view of a self-contained soil module with perforated sidewalls 203. This embodiment contains textured side walls 201 andperforated corners 209, such that the perforations extend around allfour sides of the soil module. FIG. 2F shows a perspective view of aself-contained soil module with textured side walls 201. In anembodiment, the outer frame has a sinusoidal wall texture 211. FIG. 2Gshows a perspective view of a self-contained soil module with texturedside walls 201. In an embodiment, the outer frame has a sinusoidal walltexture 211 and the inner walls 213 have a grooved wall texture 215.FIG. 2H shows a perspective view of a self-contained soil module withtextured side walls 201 and an opening 107 in the bottom 108 of theouter frame 101. The size and shape of the opening 207 shown in FIG. 2Hare non-limiting and for illustrative purposes. This embodimentcomprises an outer frame 101 with a sinusoidal wall texture 211 andinner walls 213 with a grooved wall texture 215. FIG. 2I shows aperspective view of a self-contained soil module with textured sidewalls 201. In an embodiment, the soil module comprises a cuboid shapehaving a top and bottom and four symmetric side walls. Two of thesymmetric, textured side walls 201 are illustrated here. The size ofsaid soil module is not limited to a specific size. The modular natureof the selfcontained soil module allows for multiple soil modules to beplaced next to each other in a garden. The garden can comprise nearlyany size or shape and be conveniently planted using said soil modules.In an embodiment all sides of the soil module are composed ofbiodegradable material including the top layer shown in FIG. 2I. Whenthe components of the soil module are selected to be biodegradable, theend user must merely place the soil module at the desired location fortheir garden and water accordingly. FIG. 2J shows a perspective view ofa self-contained soil module including a label 110 featured onbiodegradable paper 111. The label 110 shown in FIG. 2J is non-limitingand for illustrative purposes.

FIG. 3A shows a top view of the outer frame 101 of a soil module. FIG.3B shows a perspective view of the outer fame 101 of a soil module. FIG.3C shows a front view of the outer frame 101 of a soil module. FIG. 3Dshows an interior view of the outer frame 101 of a soil module. When theouter frame 101 of the soil module comprises mycelium, it is possible togrow the mycelium in a substrate, wherein the substrate provided can beof the shape as shown in FIGS. 3A-3D. Alternatively, the mycelium outerframe 101 can be crafted and combined from pieces of individual myceliumlayers grown separately and then bonded with an adhesive. Alternatively,the outer frame 101 shown in FIGS. 3A-3D can be constructed fromalternative materials that are either biodegradable ornon-biodegradable.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a self-contained soil modulecomprising an image 401 and label 403 on the top of the soil module. Inan embodiment, a self-contained soil module will have an indicatorplaced on the top of the soil module so that an end user can easilyidentify the plant seeds contained within the soil module. In anembodiment, the soil module contains one type of plant seed. In theexample of FIG. 4, the soil module comprises carrot plant seeds and animage 401 of a carrot is placed on the top of the soil module toidentify the seed contents of the soil module. A company logo can alsobe placed on the soil module.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective illustrative view of the manufacturing of asoil module. As previously discussed, the outer frame 101 of the soilmodule can comprise either biodegradable or non-biodegradable materialand forms a rigid self-supporting outer layer. In an embodiment, theouter frame 101 of the soil module comprises mycelium.

In a non-limiting example, mycelium could be prepared in the followingmanner for construction of an outer layer of a soil module. In the belowexample, individual sheets of mycelium are grown and then these sheetsare cut into shapes to form the top, bottom, and side walls of a cuboidsoil module.

Mycelium Preparation:

First, pasteurize a substrate. Substrates can be constructed frommaterials such as straw, hardwood sawdust, manure, coco coir andvermiculite, coffee grounds and more. Substrates may be produced fromagricultural waste. Next, inoculate the substrate with a mycelium spawn.The exact strain of mycelium is selected for optimizing the desiredcharacteristics of the final mycelium outer frame. Then, mix flour andwater with the inoculated substrate. The precise quantities of flour andwater can be altered to optimize the performance and structure of theeventually created mycelium outer frame. Take the mix and let it grow ina sealed plastic bag or container for a number of days, for example, 5days. After the predetermined amount of time (days), remove the mix fromthe bag and break down the mix into fine aggregate. Add additional flourand water to the fine aggregate. Add enzymes and catalysts to theaggregate. The enzymes and catalysts are chosen to control the growth ofthe mycelium. Thoroughly mix all the above ingredients.

Form and Mold Prep:

Sterilize sheet forms with hydrogen peroxide. Evenly spread mycelium mixover bottom sheet form. Lightly pack mix into form, wiping excess mixback into sterile container. Cover with top sheet form. Place full sheetform in tray stack in environmentally controlled grow tent. Allow formsto grow in tent for 7-10 days, maintaining humidity of roughly 90%. Oncemycelium growth has bound all particles and filled the extents of forms,remove from tray stack while maintaining sterile environment. Separatemolded pieces into 4 wall components, base grid (bottom), and top grid(top). Join 4 wall components and base grid with a biobased mastic,although nonbiodegradable adhesives may also be used. Place the now5-sided outer frame of container and top grid back in tray stack in growtent. Allow components to grow for an additional period of approximately2 days to develop outer membrane, again maintaining approximately 90%humidity in grow tent. Once fully grown, cross ventilate grow tent withwarm dry air until forms are rigid. Some variations of componentsrequire heat or a baking process to cure and stop the growth, but thismay cause discoloration. In an embodiment of the invention herein thecomponents are designed to be relatively thin, which allows thecomponents to be easily air dried and to cease to grow. In alternativeembodiments, heat or enzymes can be used as opposed to air drying.Remove completed components from grow tent.

Assembly: Cut a biodegradable cellulose paper to form a top and a bottomsheet of the soil packet. Place the bottom sheet of cellulose paper intoa square tray container. Fill container with engineered soil mix. Asdiscussed below, this soil mix is specifically designed to optimize theplant growth of the seeds contained therein and, if necessary, tocounteract any deficiencies in the local soil if the module is to beplaced in a local soil. Apply mastic (such as a biobased mastic) to theedges of the bottom sheet. Cover with the top sheet and adhere edges,forming a wrapping, which envelops the complete packet comprising thecellulose paper and engineered soil mix. Lightly press the completepacket into tray container for more rectangular/cuboid shape. Remove thecomplete packet from the tray container and place soil packet into themycelium outer frame. Adhere mycelium top grid with mastic (for example,biobased). At a point in the above steps, seeds can be injected intoeither the mycelium outer frame or the engineered soil. A self-containedsoil module is now ready for delivery to a garden. The above identifiedsteps are capable of being automated. An autonomous or semiautonomoussystem may be constructed to carry out the above steps. For example, amachine may autonomously or semi-autonomously grow mycelium sheets,provide the mycelium sheets to another machine responsible for cuttingthe mycelium sheets and forming the sheets into soil modules. Further,another machine may be tasked with preparing a soil composition based onspecified requirements fed to the machine beforehand. The soilcompositions could be fed automatically into biodegradable sealed paperpackets that are then pressed in placed into the soil modules, which arethen sealed with the top layer of the soil module and are now ready fordelivery. The plant seeds may be implanted at any step automatically,for example, by placing the plant seeds in the mycelium sheets or in thesoil composition.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective cross-sectional view of illustrative internalcompositions contained within a soil module. As mentioned above, thesoil composition 105 placed inside a soil module is engineered tooptimize the growth a plant seed or seeds contained therein. This soilcomposition 105 as shown in FIG. 6 comprises engineered soil 601, seeds603, minerals 605, bacteria 607, nutrients 609, and fertilizers 611.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a soil composition showing examplesof the compositions contained within the soil composition 105, such as,nutrients 609, bacteria 607, and minerals 605.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective cross-sectional view of a soil module and thecomponents contained therein. As shown in FIG. 8, the outer frame 101 ofthe soil module is biodegradable. As discussed above, this outer layercan comprise a rigid mycelium outer frame 101. The mycelium can haveseeds 601 injected into it. At least one seed from at least one type ofplant is injected into the soil module. The outer layer may be rigid andmaintain the shape of the soil module. The contents of the soil modulemay comprise, as shown in FIG. 8, engineered soil 105, moisture controlagents 807, time release fertilizers 805, beneficial bacteria 607,minerals 605, nematodes 803, and cayenne 801.

Further, the engineered soil mixture may comprise 1 to 14 or moredifferent components including bio-stimulants, pH balancers,fertilizers, and moisture control agents. The weighting of thecomponents of the soil composition contained within the soil module canbe selected based on (1) the local soil analysis of a location of apotential soil the soil module is to be placed in; and/or (2) the typeof plant seeds chosen to be injected in said soil module. For example,the soil composition of a generic soil module of an embodiment of theinvention disclosed herein may comprise the ingredients and weightedpercentages of said ingredients as shown below with a Compressionmultiple of 1.08:

Default Block Composition Peat Moss 23.0%  Growing Medium Pearlite24.0%  Moisture Control Coco Coir 20.0%  Growing Medium Compost 14.0% Organic Matter Manganese Greensand 3.3% Micronutrients Bloodmeal 1.2%Nitrogen Rock Phosphate 2.3% Phosphorus Lime 2.0% pH Balance WormCastings 0.8% Fertilizer Potassium Sulfate 0.8% Fertilizer Azomite 0.8%Fertilizer Alfalfa Meal 0.8% Fertilizer Bonemeal 1.4% Phosphorus Biochar0.5% Carbon Capsaicin 0.0% Insecticde Chicken Manure 0.8% FertilizerCotton Seed 0.9% Fertilizer Feather Meal 2.2% Nitrogen Kelp Meal 0.6%Micronutrients Langbeinite 0.2% Sulfur Rock Dust 0.3% RemineralizationTapoica 0.4% Seed Encasement Total 100% 

When a plant is deprived of certain types of nutrients its growth andhealth suffer. Likewise, when certain fertilizers are added to a soilcomposition, a plant's growth and health is enhanced. The abovedescribed generic soil composition for an embodiment of the inventiondisclosed herein is designed to produce an optimal balance of nutrients,minerals, fertilizers, etc. for optimal plant growth and health for mostcircumstances. In addition, the soil composition may comprise culturedbacteria to further enhance the soil compositions bent-fit to a growingplant.

The generic soil composition described herein can be customized and theweightings of individual components altered to optimize plant growth andhealth for the specific type of plant seeds contained within a soilmodule. For example, some plants grow better and be healthier when, forexample, more of one soil component is present relative to others.Alternatively, reducing a soil component relative to others may providean enhanced environment for a particular plant to grow. A customizedsoil composition with a variety of soil components being increased ordecreased can provide an optimal soil composition for a particular plantto grow in. For example, in the case that a soil module is configured togrow tomatoes, the following customized soil composition can be created:

Tomato Block Composition Item (Internal Contents): % Composition:Contribution: Peat Moss 22.0%  Growing Medium Peat Moss 22.0%  GrowingMedium Pearlite 27.5%  Moisture Control Coco Coir 17.0%  Growing MediumCompost 12.0%  Organic Matter Manganese Greensand 3.3% MicronutrientsBloodmeal 1.1% Nitrogen Rock Phosphate 1.3% Phosphorus Lime 3.8% pHBalance Worm Castings 0.9% Fertilizer Potassium Sulfate 0.9% FertilizerAzomite 0.9% Fertilizer Alfalfa Meal 0.9% Fertilizer Bonemeal 1.3%Phosphorus Biochar 1.3% Carbon Capsaicin 0.0% Insecticide Cotton Seed1.3% Fertilizer Feather Meal 1.5% Nitrogen Kelp Meal 1.3% MicronutrientsLangbeinite 0.8% Sulfur Rock Dust 0.5% Remineralization Tapoica 0.4%Seed Encasement Vermiculite 0.3% Magnesium Molybendum 0.0% Catalyst Zinc0.1% Chicken Manure 0.0% Fertilizer 100% 

The second column of cells shows percentage changes to the soilcomposition as compared to a generic default soil composition. Forexample, the peat moss percentage cell indicates a decrease in peat mossin the tomato soil composition to 22% as compared to a default soilcomposition with peat moss at 23%. Further, the pearlite percentage cellindicates an increase in pearlite in the tomato soil composition to27.5% as compared to default soil composition with pearlite at 24%. Theother percentage weightings of components are increased or decreased toprovide an enhanced and more optimal soil composition for growingtomatoes.

The above-identified composition is an illustrative embodiment for asingle type of plant, tomato. Other plant types require different soilcompositions to provide the best conditions for optimal growth andhealth. The benefit and advantage of the invention described herein isthat the soil composition for each soil module can be customized tooptimize the growth and health of the type of plant seed containedtherein. Therefore, a single soil module containing tomato seeds couldcomprise an optimal soil composition as described above for tomatoplants. At the same time, a separate soil module for growing a differentvariety of plant could contain a different soil composition optimizedfor that specific variety of plant. These two unique soil modules couldbe placed side by side in a garden allowing for two different types ofplants to grow in their respective optimal soil compositions.

FIG. 9 shows an illustrative embodiment of a user placing a sensor atthe location of an intended garden area. The sensor placed at theintended garden location may comprise one or more sensors. In theembodiment of FIG. 13, the sensors are self-contained within asmartphone device. The smartphone device through the use of a cameracontained within a smartphone is able to assess the ambient solar lightbeing received at the location. In addition, the smart phone device iscapable of calculating the geographic location of the intended garden(for example, via a OPS or other geographic location sensor), as well asits orientation (for example, via a gyroscope and/or an accelerometer).

FIG. 10 shows an illustrative embodiment of the calculations computedbased on the location of a planned garden area. The methods disclosedherein can take as inputs data gathered from sensors located at thespecific gardening location, data gathered from general data gatheringsources, or combinations thereof. The goal is to use the inputted datato compute: (1) Sunlight levels; (2) Soil Analysis; (3) Forward-LookingWeather; (4) Historical Weather; and (5) Agronomic API in order to makedeterminations regarding what plant life is optimal for a user selectedgarden as well as additional decisions such as watering and harvestingalerts. In general, the methods of analyzing these data inputs areconsidered a form of microclimate analysis. For each individual gardendata can be provided with enough detail to provide a microclimateanalysis encompassing for example the wind, light, and rain conditionsat the garden location. This analysis can comprise analyzing historicaldata, current data as well as predicative data, such as rain fallpredictions. An analysis of a microclimate may result in using differentsoil compositions depending on the microclimate. For example, locationswherein it is determined that the microclimate will experience heavierrain or more intense sunlight may require changes in the soilcomposition components to improve a plant seeds growing environment. Thedetermination to change soil compositions based on microclimate analysiscan be done independent of or in conjunction with determination tochange a soil composition based on a local soil analysis orcustomization of a soil compositions based on improving the growingconditions for a particular plant seed.

Some of the data providers may include: MapDwell(mapdwell.com/en/solar/); OpenWeatherMap (openweathermap.org); SoilGrids(soilgrids.org); Dark Sky (darksky.net); Weather Underground(wunderground.com); and aWhere (awhere.com).

Forward-looking weather is a crowd-sourced data provider such as, DarkSky (darksky.net), which is a system that captures users' barometricpressure readings (their mobile app passively captures a reading every90 seconds) to refine weather predictions on a medium term, for example,a 10-day basis. These predictions ensure that plants are not overwateredby users when rain is forecasted and adjusts recommended plant carebased upon forecasted weather patterns.

Barometric pressure readings can also be used to estimate the amount ofsolar light incident upon a garden. Solar assessment maps discussedbelow with respect to FIG. 16 show a top-level view of the solar lightincident upon the upper surfaces of buildings or trees. For gardens thatare below the height of those rooftops or trees, a barometric pressurereading at the garden site can estimate the difference in elevation andthen a discount of the solar light hitting the top of the rooftop can becomputed to capture loss of solar light due to shadows from buildingsand other obstructions.

Historical weather data, such as that provided by Weather Underground(wunderground.com), may also be used.

Additionally, agronomic APs, such as aWhere (awhere.com), provide alarge amount of data that can be integrated into a larger system, forexample, for tracking changes in evapotranspiration, refining yieldmodels, etc. Windy.com may also be used.

In another embodiment, nutritional information regarding food can beintegrated into a user interface with information being provided by datasources such as a project spearheaded by NYU: Sage Project(sageproject.com).

FIG. 11 shows an illustrative breakdown of soil compositions ingeographic areas. Remote soil maps such as the type shown in FIG. 15 canprovide data on a per block city basis. Alternatively, an end user of asoil module can sample the soil and transmit the results to a neuralnetwork that determines the soil composition. Local soil components canthen be determined on a local level with a great deal of resolution. Thesoil delivery block or module will then be designed to have a soilcomposition that makes up for any deficiencies in the local soil. Thesoil composition will then be further refined to optimize the growthpotential for the particular plant intended to be grown from the soilmodule. An example of a source of soil data is a publicly availableAPI—SoilGrids (soilgrids.org), which provides the taxonomy of theunderlying soil of every point on the globe with varying degrees ofaccuracy and resolution. The value of these classifications includesidentifying nutrient deficiencies which allows for a soil compositioncontained within a soil module to be modified to cure any deficiencies,with use of nutrient additives in the manufacturing process.

The methods employed herein can add an additional layer of resolution tothese maps with, for example, soil data captured by municipalgovernments. For example, all schools need to run a soil test every yearto ensure lead levels fall below an ‘acceptable standard’ (in additionto a onetime analysis for each new housing start). To utilize themethods employed herein, uses can overlay these data points into eithera self-developed (or existing) GIS to ensure we have the most accurateground-level understanding of nutrient deficiencies available. Note:Keep in mind this data is only useful for users who've identifiedthey'll be growing directly in the ground. For users indicatingotherwise, a generic ‘optimized mix’ can be selected optionally withamendments made thereto for the variety of plant they will becultivating.

An example of a soil composition selected for a specific geographicregion identified by longitude and latitude is found below:

Soil composition manufactured for longitude −73.989722 and Latitude40.691944.

Default Block Composition For Location Item (Internal Contents): %Composition: Contribution: Peat Moss 16.0% Growing Medium Pearlite 29.0%Moisture Control Coco Coir 17.5% Growing Medium Compost 15.0% OrganicMatter Manganese Greensand 4.9% Micronutrients Bloodmeal 1.8% NitrogenRock Phosphate 2.8% Phosphorus Lime 1.8% pH Balance Worm Castings 1.2%Fertilizer Potassium Sulfate 1.2% Fertilizer Azomite 1.2% FertilizerAlfalfa Meal 0.7% Fertilizer Bonemeal 2.3% Phosphorus Biochar 0.4%Carbon Capsaicin 0.0% Insecticide Chicken Manure 1.1% Fertilizer CottonSeed 1.3% Fertilizer Kelp Meal 0.7% Micronutrients Langeinite 0.5%Sulfur Rock Dust 0.5% Remineralization Tapoica 0.4% Seed Encasement Zinc0.2% Feather Meal 0.0% Nitrogen Total 100.0%

A comparison of the above soil composition against the generic soilcomposition previously described can be readily ascertained. Startingfrom a default soil composition, the second column of cells above showsincreases and decreases in percentages of particular components in thedefault soil composition. The purpose of increasing or decreasing acomponent's percentage of the soil composition is to cure or counteractdeficiencies in the local soil. For the above example, data regardingthe local soil compositions located at longitude −73.989722 and latitude40.691944 has already been obtained and deficiencies in the underlyingsoil have been analyzed. Starting with the default soil compositiondescribed in an embodiment herein, a determination is made to increaseor decrease the percentages of components in the default soilcomposition. This is done so that when a soil module containing themodified soil composition of the above table is introduced to the localsoil at the specified longitude and latitude, the combination of themodified soil composition and the local soil produces a more ideal soilmixture for plant growth. For example, based on the soil analysisconducted at the specified longitude and latitude of this example, it isdetermined, for example, that a decrease in peat moss and an increase inpearlite would be beneficial for producing optimal plant growth andhealth when the modified soil composition in a soil module is placed inthe local soil. The modified soil composition would then cure orcounteract any deficiencies in the local soil such as a low amount ofpearlite and at the same time not introduce too much of other soilcomposition components. As another example, the amount of bonemealcontributing phosphorus to the soil composition is increased in thiscustomized soil composition as compared to the generic default soilcomposition of an embodiment disclosed herein in order to counteract adeficiency of phosphorous in the local soil at the identified longitudeand latitude.

The soil taxonomy breakdown for this embodiment would be as follows:

Soil Taxonomy Breakdown Soil Type: Percentage: Udepts 37% Orthents 28%Udults  7% Haplic Acrisols 14% Haplic Alisols  8% Haplic Luvisols  6%

Note: Compression multiple of 1.05.

FIG. 12 shows an illustrative breakdown of solar analysis on a cityblock level.

For example, the following data sources may be used in determining soilcomposition: sunlight levels, historical cloud specific lookup, solarmonitoring, and solar monitoring.

Sunlight levels may be identified via the ‘remote solar assessment’database, MapDwell, which gives weekly breakdowns for each user. In anembodiment, data is collected for each user of a soil module on a dailyand granular level.

Historical cloud-specific lookup may be identified via a database suchas, OpenWeatherMap (openweathermap.org). An algorithm may apply anabsolute discount % in order to isolate cloud coverage. Furtherrefinement of the system can be accomplished with local data gathering.SolarAnywhere is an example of another source of data.(solaranywhere.com/validation/methodology/in-depth/)

Solar assessment methods as described below can be utilized eitherindividually or in combination.

One solar monitoring method may use LiDAR data and orthographic mapsthat provide discreet sunlight profiles for each square foot of mostmajor cities. Estimates can be made from this data regarding the actualsunlight impact on a particular area.

For example, barometric pressure differences between the tops ofbuildings and trees and the altitude of the user's garden can be takeninto account to adjust the level of sunlight that most likely impactsthe gardening environment of the user.

Further, estimates can be made when a user positions their smartphonedevice in the location of their garden and the geographic location,topography of the surrounding area, altitude, and orientation can all becalculated by the smartphone. This additional information can be used tofurther estimate the amount of sunlight that impacts the gardening area.

A second solar monitoring method may use a sensor in the gardening area.This sensor monitors, records, and transmits the sunlight incident uponit. This information can then be used in further calculations todetermine optimal plant life to grow in the garden, when to water, whento harvest, and the like.

A third solar monitoring method may include the use of a user'ssmartphone camera. Most smartphone devices comprise cameras. A usercould place their smartphone in the gardening area. The smartphone wouldthen use the internal camera to determine sunlight levels one ormultiple times during the day. For example, the phone may take an imageevery 15 minutes for a 24-hour period to determine the sunlight at aparticular location at various times during the day. This may beperformed every day or every week to make the determination at varioustimes during the year.

FIG. 13 shows an embodiment of a user interacting with asmartphone-based application for calculating the size and composition ofa potential garden. Because of the modular nature of the soil modules, agarden area can be broken down into individual modules as shown in FIG.13. The soil modules in this embodiment are square in shape and,accordingly, the displayed garden selection user interface shows asquare garden selection area subdivided into squares. Alternatively, ifthe soil modules were a different shape then the display could bealtered to account for the different soil module shape.

FIG. 14 shows an embodiment of a user selecting the size and layer of anintended garden using a smartphone-based application. As shown in FIG.14, the user may select a variety of different sizes and configurationsfor the user's total garden layout. Because of the soil modules modularnature, the user may select nearly any combination of cells to constructtheir garden.

FIG. 15 shows an illustrative embodiment of vegetables being selectedfor growing in a potential garden and a method of arranging saidvegetables. Part of the method of arranging said vegetables is to notallow vegetables that potentially could impede one another's growth tobe planted next to each other. A computer-based algorithm optimizes theselection process so that when multiple plants are selected for plantingin a garden a neural network decision engine selects an arrangement toplant said soil modules that optimizes plant growth. In an embodiment ofFIG. 19, the user has either (1) selected the plants to grow in theirgarden and/or (2) based on the inputted data from the user's geographiclocation and other variables (such as sunlight, wind, etc.), thecomputer network linked to the user's smartphone application hasgenerated plant suggestions for the user. The computer network has alsoarranged the plants in the garden to optimize plant growth bypositioning the soil modules, so the plant life contained therein willnot interfere with surrounding plant life grown in surrounding soilmodules.

FIG. 16 shows a perspective view of a self-contained soil module withlabel prepared for delivery to an end user. In an embodiment, theself-contained soil modules each contain one type of plant seed, containa soil composition optimized for the type of plant seed containedtherein, and include a label or identification marker so that the usercan easily identify the type of plant the soil module contains. In FIG.16 the soil module contains carrots and therefore is labeled with acarrot on the top of the soil module. Other soil modules can be labeledsimilarly in accordance with the type of plant contained therein.

FIG. 17 shows a perspective view of an end user planting a garden usingmultiple self contained soil modules each labeled and containing aunique plant seed. As shown in FIG. 17, an end user receives the soilmodules each containing respective plants selected by the user. The sizeof the garden and the layout of the garden have already been inputted bythe user such as the example shown in FIG. 19. The user is now capableof placing the individual self-contained soil modules at theirrespective locations in the garden as previously determined. Because ofthe modular nature of the soil modules the end user now has a variety ofplant life capable of growing in an individually designed garden shapeand size. Further, in an embodiment each soil module can contain a soilcomposition optimized to grow the plant contained therein. Furtherstill, the soil composition of each soil module can be further modifiedto counteract a local soil composition found in the user's garden if theuser is planting their garden directly into the local soil. If thegarden is in an urban area and the garden is not being planted in thelocal soil, then it might not be necessary for further optimization ofthe soil composition beyond optimizing the soil for the type of plantgrown within the soil module.

FIG. 18 shows a perspective view of an end user placing a self-containedsoil module in an urban garden. As can be seen from FIG. 18, the soilmodule is self-contained and easily handled by the user. The soil modulecan be buried within local soil, artificial soil, or merely placed ontop of the area that the user desires to grow their garden.

FIG. 19 shows a perspective view of an urban garden comprising columnsand rows of self-contained soil modules. The garden in FIG. 19 is shownon the rooftop of a building. The garden is a unique shape comprising arectangle. The modular nature of the soil modules allows a user toselect the garden shape to be three soil modules wide and four soilmodules in length for a total of twelve soil modules. The soil modulesallow a user to easily plant their garden by merely placing the soilmodules in the desired location in the garden.

FIG. 20 shows an illustrative embodiment of end user notificationsinforming an end user when to water and harvest self-contained soilmodules. In connection with the sensor data provided from the user'sgarden area or from data gathered from multiple sources, a networkcomputer system can calculate and monitor the progress of an urbangarden. The computer network can calculate based on the inputted orgathered data and the type of plant being grown when a particular plantin a particular soil module may require for example watering orharvesting. As shown in FIG. 20, notifications are being provided to anend user through a smartphone application that two of the ten soilmodules require watering and one of the ten soil modules requiresharvesting.

FIG. 21 shows a perspective view of a self-contained soil module whereinthe plant life has grown through the module and developed into an adultplant. Although the soil modules described herein are not required to bemade out of purely biodegradable material, for example, the outer frame101 being made of mycelium, the cellulose paper containing the soilcomposition and the entire structure being held together by biobasedmastics, it is advantageous for the soil module to be biodegradable. Asshown in FIG. 21, when the soil module is biodegradable, the plant seedscontained therein can take root in the soil composition and continue togrow through the bottom of the soil module and through the top of thesoil module into a mature plant.

In embodiments, a computer network can be linked with an end user viafor example a smartphone application. A user will have the ability tophotograph their plant life growing in their garden from the soilmodules and upload the images to the computer network. The network willbe able to automatically identify the plant life being grown andidentify the health of the plant life. The computer network will also beable to identify problems with the plant life. Further, the computernetwork can capture data from numerous users uploading data and imagesin order to improve the algorithms for growing plant life in a certaingeographic region, in a soil composition provided in the soil modules,or under certain weather conditions.

The above described invention has been described in an illustrativemanner. It is to be understood that the terminology which has been usedis intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than oflimitation. Many modifications and variations of the present inventionare possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

FIG. 22 shows a perspective view of an urban garden comprising columnsand rows of self-contained soil modules 2201. In this embodiment, thegarden is a unique shape comprising a rectangle. The modular nature ofthe soil modules allows a user to select the garden shape to be two soilmodules wide and three soil modules in length for a total of six soilmodules. The soil modules allow a user to easily plant their garden bymerely placing the self-contained soil module in the desired location inthe garden.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of manufacturing a self-contained soilmodule, the method comprising: growing at least one mycelium sheet;cutting the at least one mycelium sheet into a bottom layer, a toplayer, and one or more side walls; forming the bottom layer and the oneor more side walls into a shape of a hollow container; binding thebottom layer and the one or more side walls using a biobased mastic;forming a soil composition; forming a soil packet comprising the stepsof: placing the soil composition on top of a biodegradable wrapping;placing the biobased mastic along at least one edge of the biodegradablewrapping; sealing the soil packet by adhering the at least one edge ofthe biodegradable wrapping to a second edge of the biodegradablewrapping, such that the soil composition is disposed within thebiodegradable wrapping; compressing the soil packet into the shape ofthe hollow container; placing the soil packet contained within thesealed biodegradable wrapping into the hollow container; placing andsealing the mycelium sheet top layer onto the one or more side wallswith the biobased mastic; and injecting, at any of the preceding steps,at least one seed of at least one type of plant into at least one of thebottom layer, the top layer, the one or more side walls, or the soilpacket.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the soil compositioncomprises combining at least one of the following with the soilcomposition: peat moss, pearlite, coco coir, compost, manganesegreensand, bloodmeal, rock phosphate, lime, worm castings, potassiumsulfate, azomite, alfalfa meal, bonemeal, biochar, capsaicin, chickenmanure, cotton seed, feather meal, kelp meal, langbeinite, rock dust,tapioca, vermiculite, zinc, and molybdenum.
 3. The method of claim 1,further comprising determining the local soil conditions of a gardenlocation to determine the optimal soil composition for growing the atleast one seed.